Bones of a Rabbit
by Dead But Lies Dreaming
Summary: There's no room for mistakes; one wrong move and she won't even have time to scream. He eats death for breakfast and she's just the bones he keeps to pick his teeth with, but that won't stop her from seeking his redemption. It doesn't matter if she ends up six feet under a ravine by the end of this. She will save him.


_This chapter was inspired by the lyrics of "Werewolf" by CocoRosie._

_X-Men (c) Marvel and Its __Affiliates_

_All original characters + the plot (c) me_

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**- Lavender Ribbons -**

The rain fell down in heavy, fat sheets, crashing against the pavement and gravel like the lightning to the sky, effectively soaking every sorry creature out in the evening storm with nowhere to go. Regina Samson was such a creature, shivering under her one too large and twice soaked military jacket, her converse slapping against the ground in quick succession, making showers of rainwater reach out to her legs in a frenzy. She puffed out one breath after another, feeling as if an octopus was wrapped around her lungs. It was a feeling she was more familiar with than she would have liked and wanted nothing more than to stop and take a moment's rest to compose herself before she continued, but she fought against the urge and pushed her legs harder towards nowhere in particular.

Eventually, however, her lungs won out and she stopped at an empty bus stop, sucking in air until she felt she would burst. She did this several times until her heart stopped doing somersaults, then took another to steady herself. When she righted herself, she leaned against the metal signpost that accompanied the bench, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to warm her core. While it wasn't it's purpose, the running helped, if only a little, to keep her some semblance of warm, though ultimately only made her tired and irritable.

With a huff, Regina wiped her wet bangs out of her eyes, taking a moment to clean the fog off her square-framed glasses using the end of her jacket sleeve. Drops of rain fell onto the lenses and she grumbled, angling her head and shoulders to shield them while she cleaned. She had to blink a few times to see correctly, putting the frames up to her eyes and cursing when her vision was still obscured. Running her sleeve vigorously over them again, she brought them up to her nose, peering through the smudged lenses and found someone standing across the road staring at her.

She jumped in surprise, her bleary eyes trying to stay focused on him. She knew it was a "him", because even from this distance and with her horrible vision, she could tell he was largely built, more likely in a muscular way than heavy set, his large figure clear against the trees. She brought her hands up to her eyes to put on her glasses, but found that they weren't in her hands. She glanced down to find them on the waterlogged sidewalk, nearly being carried away by the current.

Not wanting to take her eyes off the man, Regina carefully lowered herself to the ground while keeping her eyes up, blindly grasping for her glasses. When her fingers met concrete instead of plastic too many times, she glanced around for them as quick as she could and saw that they were now on the curb. She reached to catch them before they fell off, but was stopped when the frame was caught by a much larger hand.

She froze for a few moments before hesitantly looking up, her eyes immediately locking onto a set of bright green eyes hovering just inches from her own. She yelped, nearly falling backwards as she scrambled back onto her feet, her eyes never leaving his.

His lips split into a smile that made her heart constrict, cold fingers spreading across her spine. Her glasses still in his hand, the man stood to his full height, a towering six, maybe seven inches and a foot taller than her, shoulders and chest broad and brimming with strength. The trench coat he sported only added to his imposing form, making him look larger than he probably was -at least, that's what she told herself. He brought his hand forward, fingers spread and palm exposed, her glasses sitting neatly in his hand like an offering.

She muttered a thank you, her unsteady fingers closing around the frame, unfocused eyes trained on her converse. She placed her glasses back in their respective place, her eyes adjusting to the still blurry lenses, raindrops dotting her vision. With the sleeve of her jacket, she rubbed circles along the surface, erasing the raindrops from view. She felt his hand clasp her chin and she gasped, feeling sharp claws scratch against her skin.

His grip was firm but gentle as he guided her head upwards, angling her face towards his own. Lifting his other arm, he put both his hands on her head, his clawed fingers pushing her hood down then resting against her cheeks. They played with her hair for a moment, then he used one hand to push her hair behind her left ear, his claws grazing over the tender cartilage.

She had yet to meet his eyes again, knowing he was looking at her intently, feeling his burning gaze above her. She stared resolutely downwards, trying to reign in the fear bubbling in her stomach. Her heart was a freight train running off the tracks, ready to veer into her lungs and collapse her breath. She had never been so sure she was about to die than this moment. At the limits of her vision, she saw him smile and she shivered, petrified in the wake of mortal terror that shook her to the core.

He leaned in close, bringing his face closer to her's, the smile widening with every second. His breath passed over her skin, gooseflesh rising on her arms and neck, his mouth nearing her's. He brought his face forward, and she found herself anticipating his next move.

Then he sunk his teeth into her neck and pulled, tearing skin and muscle, flesh tearing as a profusion of blood erupted from the fissure where her throat used to be. She choked, tears streaming down her face as blood pooled in her lungs, drowning in the very thing that gave her life. Blood seeped from her gaping mouth as she screamed, her vocal chords ripping apart from the strain.

"This is what you see every time?" Regina asked, carefully prodding at the scars on her neck, her eyebrows knit together.

Taking his hands from Regina's temples, Kyle Mathers nodded with grim certainty. "Recently, that's all I dream about, among other things," he admonished, drumming his fingers on the table.

"So, you keep dreaming my violent death at the hands of a mystery man?" she asked, leaning back in her seat. "Well, that's comforting."

"It's probably not your death. It's," Kyle struggled to find the right words, worrying at his lip ring for several seconds before saying, "It's, like, symbolic. For instance, when you were attacked by that wild dog when you were ten."

Regina absently rubbed her scars. "Yeah. You think that's connected?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. That dog almost killed you because you kept trying to help it. You know, give it love and shit."

She muttered something about his lovely description, but he either didn't hear it or didn't care.

"This guy in the dream is the same way; a feral dog who you're going to try and help and love or something, thus making yourself vulnerable to him. He's going to hurt you in the end."

"As if," she scoffed, "I would never try to do something so stupid. See?" She pointed at the scars on her neck. "I learned my lesson."

"Well, yeah, but...," he trailed off, his eyes scanning the table as if looking for answers.

She waved her hand in front of his face, catching his attention. "Look, your dreams aren't always correct, you've said so yourself. They can be changed, just like I can change this."

She placed her hand over her chest directly over a tattoo of a flock of birds. Closing her eyes, she flexed her hand, bending down all fingers except her pointer and middle finger and drew a circle over the birds. Instantly, they morphed together, the wings spreading and taking on a new pattern, the body becoming smaller. With a smirk, she moved her hand, revealing her new ink. "How's that for symbolism?"

He blinked once, then twice, then a broad smile spread across his face. "It still amazes me when you do that, Ginny," he chuckled, watching the butterfly as it flapped its wings.

She chuckled along with him, pulling her fingers from her body, the butterfly following their example. Its wings beat furiously against her skin, pulling from the ivory plane until it was airborne and fluttering just above her hand.

"It is fun, though it stings like hell. Like getting another tattoo in the same place over and over again," she admitted, the butterfly landing softly in her palm.

"Ouch," Kyle seethed, scratching his own ink covered arm.

"I know, right?" She smiled, closing her fingers around the butterfly. The ink slithered out from under her fingers, collecting on the back of her hand in broken pieces to form a butterfly with burning wings.

Kyle stood from his chair, shaking his head. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Setting its wings on fire, I mean."

Regina followed, tucking a lock of fiery hair behind her glasses. "Destruction is a form of creation, bro. Thought you'd know that, you've seen _Donnie Darko_ seventeen times. You even have a Frank tattoo!"

Kyle swung his arm around her shoulders, ruffling her hair and laughing when she protested. "Brat."

"Douche."

"Touché."

"Come on," Regina said, breaking up the seriousness, "We gotta get to class."

"Alright," he said through his chuckles, following after Regina. Just as he was passing into the hallway, he froze, an awful feeling like hot tar settling in his stomach, and he turned to look out the window.

Regina, realizing Kyle had stopped, turned around to call him. "Kyle!"

He took a moment to compose himself, then turned around with a bright, almost sympathetic smile on his face. "Sorry, got distracted."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she looped her arm through his. "Come on! We're not gonna be late this time."

"Yeah, yeah," he retorted automatically, sparing a glance out the front window. "Hey, Regina?"

She half turned, still walking ahead. "Yeah?"

"Be extra safe outside today, okay?"

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't like the look of those clouds."

"Oooh," she mocked, wiggling her fingers in an ominous way and she giggled at her own silliness. Her smile faltered at the expression on his face, so she took hold of his hand.

"Okay, I won't," she assured, swinging their combined hands back and forth.

"Pinkie promise?"

"Pfft, you're such a cheese ball," she teased, but looped her pinkie finger around his. "Pinkie promise."

"Good," he nodded, then pshoved her to the side and began to sprint down the hall. "Last one there has to do the other's laundry!"

It took Regina a moment to catch her wits, then she realized what he said and bolted after him. "If you think I'm even touching your dirty underwear, you're so wrong!"

Thunder crashed in the distance as raindrops began to fall, slowly at first then in rising succession. It soaked the ground thoroughly, accumulating in the streets and quickly making puddles. Soon, they would be flooded to the degree of rising currents, forcing those outside to run home or anywhere they could find shelter and those who could not to don coats and jackets to keep themselves dry during their trek.

In a few short hours, school would be let out and Regina would wait at the gates, already getting soaked to the bone, while Kyle would drive up in his old Caddy with an apologetic smile, get out and get soaked as well while he opened the door for her. Then he would get back in and drive down Fifth Avenue to drop Regina off at her house, ask if she wanted company for a few hours and be hit in the face by Regina's right hook.

If either of them would notice the cloaked figure in a trench coat across the road, partially obscured by the trees and heading down Fifth, neither would comment on it.

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><p><em>First thing I've written in forever and it still sucks. I was on a roll in the beginning and then it went down the drain. I hope I haven't exposed too much to the light.<em>

_Anyway, I wouldn't expect an update soon, but probably by the end of this month I'll have something._

-Dead But Lies Dreaming


End file.
